Few employers would disagree about the need for effective cross-cultural training programs in today’s fast-moving, multi-national business environment, preparing employees for foreign assignments and creating a more effective, happier workplace at home.
Mrs. Catalina Veneziano, Learning & Development Manager of Western Canada for Compass Canada, a national food service and supply company, learned French at Berlitz to help her succeed at work. She found, however, the benefits of Berlitz language learning go well beyond that.
A lot has been written about preparing for a foreign assignment and the need to understand and appreciate other cultures, but there’s not as much information about the issues you may encounter managing a multi-cultural team, or how to handle them.
A foreign assignment is one of the costliest investments a company can make in a single employee.
Costs can run from about $400,000 to more than $1 million a year, according to the Society for Human Resource Managers. Yet, between 40 percent to 50 percent of foreign assignments are unsuccessful (higher in some developing countries), costing businesses hundreds of millions a year.
Business travelers who know a foreign language are a big plus. It can also be a boost for the employee’s career.
Although language plays a big part in communication, the majority of how we interact with one another is through the gestures we make with our hands, the body position we take, or the way in which we curl our lips. While it is easier to use language to communicate false statements body language almost never lies. You might just be saying you are having a wonderful time on that first date, but your arms are crossed, your brow is furrowed, and you don’t make eye contact at all.
The Berlitz Toronto Learning Centre has recently moved to its new office to continue to offer its innovative language training services to the surrounding business community.
Berlitz Calgary Learning Centre is proud to announce its new location where it can continue to provide its innovative language training services to the great city of Calgary.
The city of Montreal is perhaps one of the best places to learn a new language. Montreal has two official languages (French and English) and is a major destination for students and travellers from all over the world.
In government being able to communicate effectively in more than one language is an essential skill to have. The Berlitz Ottawa Learning Centre has been the location for officials to learn a new language.
Learning a new language in the 21st Century is now easier than ever. With Berlitz Virtual Classroom we make it easier to learn wherever and whenever you want.
Some languages are easier to learn than others. That is a fact. But are their languages by their very nature that are easier to learn over others? Find out...
It wasn’t all that long ago that Christopher Thomson was struggling to understand the most basic French phrases.